The Maldhunga Police Post, in ward 1 of Baglung Municipality, is a strategically important security post since it serves as the entry point to Baglung district in Gandaki Province. Despite its strategic significance, the post lacks even the basic infrastructure—it is a two-room arrangement where ten security personnel have to sleep, cook and eat in the same place.

Due to the small space which is not enough even for four people to sleep at a time, the security personnel—eight police and two traffic police—take turns to sleep.

Due to the growing number of vehicles and people passing through Maldhunga, the police post is in need of an additional five security personnel to assist with vehicle checks and administrative tasks, according to the police officials. But the space is too small to accommodate any extra police.

Also, the police officials said they don’t feel safe living in the dilapidated structure with a leaking roof, and numerous holes and cracks in the walls. They also complain about the lack of space to store contraband and smuggled goods they occasionally seize during checks.

The Maldhunga Police Post was established around 20 years ago, and from 1994 to 2015, Maldhunga was the only entrance to the district. A road connects the tourist town of Pokhara with Baglung. And in 2015, Maldhunga became the transit point for the Mid Hill Highway and the Kaligandaki Corridor road.

According to the police post, hundreds of passengers and scores of vehicles pass through Maldhunga daily. But inadequate space and poor living conditions have made it difficult for them to do their jobs efficiently.

“The security personnel are living a very difficult life in dilapidated structures,” said Durga Bahadur Acharya, chairman of the Community Service Centre and Community Police Service, Ramrekha, in ward 1 of Baglung Municipality.

“They don’t have enough space to live and no place to keep the seized goods, documents of travellers and records of vehicles and passengers. How can they operate effectively from such cramped conditions?”

Acharya says the police post should be housed in a bigger building.

According to Acharya, there is a forest behind the police post where there is a continued threat of attacks by wild animals, yet there is no proper wall or fence for protection.

It’s not just wild animals, but there is also the risk of people stealing documents or attacking security personnel, he said.

“Due to the cramped space, the security personnel are compelled to bathe, do dishes, and wash clothes out in the open, which is embarrassing,” Acharya added.

In addition to the Mid Hill Highway, the Kaligandaki Corridor, and the Pokhara-Baglung Road, there is another road passing through Maldhunga, connecting the southern part of Baglung to the road network, so security should be at the highest level at the Maldhunga Police Post.

According to Superintendent of Police Rishiram Kandel of Baglung District Police Office, security personnel at Maldhunga have to maintain record of vehicles entering and exiting the district round the clock. Similarly, they also have to conduct searches on suspicious vehicles, detain individuals found with illegal or suspicious items, and send them to the district police office.

Besides their regular duties, the Maldhunga policemen are also tasked with search and rescue operations in the event of accidents and natural disasters.

A traffic police constable complained about the lack of a computer to register vehicle data and a holding cell for detained individuals. They have to wait for the district police office to transport detained people.

“We are struggling to protect our record register and the documents seized during checks because whenever it rains, water seeps into the rooms through the zinc roof, walls, and the door,” he said.

And when it is windy or there is a storm, the policemen said they flee to safety due to the fear of the hut being blown away.

As per government standards, the Ministry of Home Affairs allocates a budget for the construction of a police post only after the authorities find 3 ropani [0.15 hectares] of land. But in Maldhunga, the authorities have not found suitable government land near the transit point.

Acharya said that there are lands in the area that are some public lands encroached upon by the locals and such lands could be used.

“The municipality could vacate such disputed land and make it available for us to construct a police office, but unfortunately, they have shown any interest in our requests,” Acharya added.

Raju Khadka, mayor of Baglung Municipality, however, said they have plans to clear the encroached lands and develop them into a tourist destination with sculptures, a flower garden and a park.

“Once this project is completed, we will help police find a suitable piece of land for building a new office,” said Khadka.

Superintendent of Police Kandel of the District Police Office says finding land for the police office in Maldhangu is not possible immediately, so they are exploring alternatives for accommodating the security personnel.